Ellie Alexander's Blog, page 3

The podcast is live!

Today marks the release of the first episode of Reality Writes, my new podcast with our favorite Tech Guy. This week, we’re chatting about all of the ideas (some good, but most bad) that never made it onto the page. If you’re curious about my original name for Torte and Nitro, or love stories that never came to fruition, this is the podcast for you.

We’re excited to share behind the scenes and give you a look into every stage of the writing and publishing process. If you have topics or id...

It’s Sloan Krause Release Day!

Today is the day! My new Sloan Krause Mystery Short, Ale I Want for Christmas is a Clue, is officially out! I’m so excited to share this holiday-themed short mystery with you. Grab your favorite holiday beverage, snuggle up with a cozy blanket next to a warm fire, and enjoy some Sloan for the holidays.

And, as promised, the first three of my Sloan Krause Mystery Shorts—Hold on for Beer Life, A Brew to a Kill, and Ale I Want for Christmas is a Clue—are now available in print! The Sloan ...

Halloween Cookie Bars

Happy Halloween!

As my gift to you, here is Jules’s recipe for Halloween Cookie Bars. Ashland is magical on Halloween and Jules and the team at Torte will be spending the day putting together treat bags and baking up a delicious storm of sweet and savory delights for the costume parade on Main Street.

These cookie bars are quick and easy to bake and will satisfy any hungry crowd of young ghouls or goblins. Plus, these bars are a great way to use up any leftover Halloween candy. Is that a...

Torte’s Signature Chocolate Raspberry Shortbread

Today, I’m baking these mouth-watering delights from the pages of Donut Disturb.

Shortbread with layers of chocolate, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries

Fun fact, raspberries have been a featured ingredient in Torte’s kitchen throughout this series. Jules immerses herself into her first investigation thanks to broken jars of her handmade raspberry jam in Meet Your Baker, and raspberries have made almost as many appearances as suspects in the books. 

This could be because raspberries ...

Rebel Book Alliance May Picks

Happy May Day! I hope the month is off to a great start. Many thanks to Tricia Maniaci for the insightful discussion on how she uses banned books and difficult tops to deepen conversations and understanding in her college classroom.

This month we’re going to do something a bit different. Thanks to Rebel Book Alliance member Jen, who suggested offering up a couple of choices, I’ve picked three books for three different reading audiences this month–an illustrated children’s book, a midd...

Andy’s Iced Mocha Recipe

As the days grow longer and the smell of blooming jasmine wafts through my garden, I find myself indulging in more outside reading. And what pairs better with a book than a cold, refreshing iced mocha? 

This recipe is inspired by everyone’s favorite barista, Andy, who is always keeping the team at Torte caffeinated and testing new recipes for spring drinks. His classic iced mocha is crafted with a combination of strong coffee, oat milk, almond extract, and cinnamon. It’s a little cup of c...

Introducing My New Patreon: A Cozy Community for Mystery Lovers

I’m thrilled to announce that I have joined Patreon, a platform that will allow me to connect with you in new and exciting ways! 

If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it allows creators to share exclusive content with you and create a community around our shared love of whodunits and all things cozy. By joining me on Patreon, you’ll gain access to works in progress—like the first book in my new Beckman Falls series, A New Rope, behind-the-scenes glimpses of my creative process, including ...

Torte’s Fresh Raspberry Pie

Are you ready for spring baking? If so, this raspberry pie recipe inspired by the Bakeshop Mystery Series is the perfect dessert for you!

In the first book of the series, Meet Your Baker, Jules spends an afternoon making Torte’s signature fresh raspberry jam only to discover her beautiful jars of jam broken around a dead body the next morning. But don’t worry, her jam wasn’t the culprit.

Torte’s fresh raspberry pie is perfect for spring baking with its sweet and tangy flavors. Jules ba...

A New Rope: (Book One of the Beckman Falls Serial Mysteries)

I am thrilled to announce the release of my new serial mystery, A New Rope, on Amazon Vella. This is a project that has been years in the making and inspired by the two Star Wars guys in my life, The Tech Guy and Sky Guy! I wrote this YA mystery during the pandemic, and they have offered up their input into the world of Beckman Falls. Now we need your thoughts and suggestions!

As a serial fiction platform, Vella allows me to share the story in bite-sized episodes, perfect f...

Join The Rebel Book Alliance

Calling all rebel readers!

In response to the book banning happening nationwide, we’ve formed our own Rebel Book Alliance, and anyone and everyone is welcome to join. Here’s how it works. Each month we’ll be reading and amplifying banned books.

For the month of March, we read a sweet board book And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. This charming true story about two male penguins who fall in love and adopt a baby penguin is being banned in classrooms and libra...